The Chicago Bears were humbled badly by the Green Bay Packers in Week 5. Even without Caleb Williams, they still carried a sense of arrogance after winning their first two without him. No one in the NFL is an easy challenge, and any team can win at any time.
It seemed like, from the team and fanbase, that they had a changed attitude heading into Sunday's game against the Atlanta Falcons, which was a 31-23 win. Nobody discounted the Falcons, mostly due to the fact that they have a great offense and the Bears’ defense has a tendency to be suspect.
Williams made his return to start for the first time since Week 2. There was a lot of fuss off the field about his injury and the severity of it, but none of that matters anymore. It’s all about getting back to playing good football and being the elite player that he is capable of being.
The match got off to a good start for the Bears. They scored on their opening possession and didn’t look back from there, which ended with their fourth win of the season. Chicago was up 31-7 going early in the fourth quarter, so things were a little strange late, as the Bears took too many starters out of their defensive rotation, and the Falcons scored a pair of touchdowns to make it close. But they found a way to hang on long enough to win.
Williams wasn't the only player to return from injury. Chicago had been without cornerback Kyler Gordon all year due to injury, and he made his return to the field of play for his season debut in Atlanta. There was chatter about whether or not he'd play at all this year, or for the Bears ever again, but he played a pivotal role in them getting the job done on this day with three sacks and two forced fumbles in a monster showing.
Offensively, Williams and Johnson led them to another big performance. Overall, that is what the team is capable of when they are on their game with their star quarterback under center. Williams completed 30-of-36 passes for 305 yards and one touchdown pass.
The ball was spread all over the field through the air. Colston Loveland caught the lone touchdown pass, but Rome Odunze and Luther Burden also made an impact. On the ground, with Kyle Monangai on the shelf for another week, D'Andre Swift and Roschon Johnson did their job. They didn't explode in terms of yards, but Swift had two touchdowns, and Johnson had one, although he also had a costly fumble.
Following the disaster that took place at Lambeau Field, the Bears needed a bounce back. They got it in a big way here. They could have handled the final quarter differently, but that is something they will adjust as the weeks go on. With their next two games coming against last year's conference champions, this was a must-win.
It's a short week ahead now with the defending AFC Champion New England Patriots on the docket for Thursday Night Football. With the minimal practice time ahead, it's an important week to work on continuing the offensive explosion while continuing to develop good defensive game plans.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Instant analysis from Bears' 31-23 win vs. Falcons